SOMETIMES, it is just not your day, and Rafael Benitez will wake up and know that feeling only too well.

It seemed that Newcastle United were the only team in it at Ewood Park, the only team who cared enough and seemed capable enough of grabbing three points.

But they returned to the North-East with nothing whatsoever as Blackburn Rovers shut up shop and declared 2017 closed for business before seizing on their one real chance to pull off one of the most unlikely doubles of the season, courtesy of Charlie Mulgrew’s fine second-half free-kick.

Mo Diame’s 30-yard effort that crashed against the bar, two disallowed goals and 67 per cent possession; on most other days this season, Newcastle would have racked up a cricket score.

But the Championship fixture list is not known for giving anything away for free, especially away from home, and so it proved here as Newcastle huffed and puffed but simply could not blow Blackburn’s defence down.

On paper, the home side were there for the taking, despite their 1-0 win at St. James’ Park earlier this term.

Manager Owen Coyle has no money to spend and around 200 of the club’s fuming fans marched from the Town Hall to the ground yesterday to display their disgust with absent owners Venky’s.

In other words, the Toon were licking their lips at kick-off as they looked to solidify their place at the top of the Championship. Those optimistic moments feel a long time ago now.

Benitez made three changes to the side that won 3-1 against Nottingham Forest on Friday night as Vurnon Anita replaced DeAndre Yedlin at right-back, Yoan Gouffran came back in for Christian Atsu and Diame was selected ahead of Ayoze Perez.

This was Diame’s last action before leaving for the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal, but hopes he could help Newcastle off to a flier at Blackburn proved unfounded in a truly drab opening.

Isaac Hayden had the Magpies’ first effort on goal after 11 minutes following some nice link-up play with Diame but the final shot lacked the class needed to worry Jason Steele.

Newcastle did nothing wrong early on – they just did very little whatsoever as a physical Blackburn side seemed intent on pressing high and squeezing Newcastle’s midfield into extinction.

Newcastle started to settle though, Hayden became ever more influential and the Toon nearly took a spectacular lead after 19 minutes.

After impressive work from Hayden in midfield, he set Diame loose who pulled the trigger from a full 30 yards.

The shot left Steele clutching at thin air but smashed onto the crossbar and away to safety. It was an omen of what was to follow.

All of a sudden, Newcastle looked in charge and it was a case of them being patient as both Dwight Gayle and then Paul Dummett saw decent efforts deflected wide.

A visiting attack ten minutes before the break summed the first half up as six Newcastle players lined the edge of the box, trying to find a chink in the Blackburn armour.

But the eight Rovers’ players in their way underlined the determination the home side had in preserving a clean sheet at the very least.

Sixty seconds later, Gayle had the first half’s best chance as Gouffran’s intelligent ball put him through on goal but Steele did well to spread himself and deny the Toon hotshot.

Just before the interval, Gouffran volleyed straight at Steele as the opening period ended with Newcastle on top but with precisely nothing to show for it.

Gouffran again went close straight after the break before Gayle’s flicked header was rightly disallowed for offside. Matt Ritchie’s free-kick was a teasing effort but Gayle had just inched offside, much to the Toon Army’s disappointment.

Before long, the groans from the away end were even louder as history repeated itself.

A goalmouth scramble following Gayle’s free-kick saw Ciaran Clark scramble home but referee Andy Woolmer felt he had handballed in the six-yard box bunfight following the first shot and again chalked the score off.

Blackburn then had their best chance with 20 minutes left as Sam Gallagher smashed an effort just wide after Hayden’s mistake in midfield.

It was a reminder that the Toon had to remain strong mentally if they were to leave with at least a point. 

Rovers improved towards the end as former Middlesbrough forward Marvin Emnes finally awoke and when he was fouled on the edge of the box by Colback, Blackburn smelt blood for the first time all day.

Although the Magpies set up a strong enough wall, Mulgrew threaded through everybody to place a fine free-kick past Karl Darlow to stun Benitez and his men.

It was cruel. The Championship often is. And the Newcastle manager’s first job today and beyond is to wipe this result from his squad’s collective mind and get his men back on track.